Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency saga has been hanging over the Golden State Warriors like a storm cloud since the beginning of the 2025 NBA offseason.

The 22-year-old rising star proved that he could assume a role as a playoff team’s leading scorer during the Warriors’ eventual defeat in the 2025 Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves with 4-time NBA champion Stephen Curry missing due to injury.

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Kuminga’s 20.8 points and 3.0 rebounds on an impressive 60.0% effective field goal percentage in five games against Minnesota in the second round did plenty to prepare the high-flying wing for an unpredictable offseason, but no movement has occurred with regard to a potential sign-and-trade involving the former No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

However, recent reports have indicated that the Sacramento Kings conducted preliminary discussions about a deal for the young forward involving a former lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, a player which one NBA writer believes that Golden State should not think twice about poaching from the Kings.

“If the Golden State Warriors truly have a chance to flip Jonathan Kuminga for Devin Carter and a pair of second-round picks, they should not hesitate for a second,” FanSided’s Will Eudy wrote Monday.

“With the Warriors at a crossroads, they’re going to need pieces who can fit their mission of winning one more championship with Stephen Curry at the helm.”

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“The Sacramento Kings’ Devin Carter is one guy who may fit that description. He’s a disruptive player who has a high motor, and his shooting continues to improve.”

“He’s the kind of player Golden State always used to thrive with. A hard-nosed guard who cuts without the ball, competes defensively and hits open shots. Carter does not need a dozen touches to make an impact, he just plays the right way.”

At just 23 years old, Carter certainly profiles as a player meant for the Warriors’ system under head coach Steve Kerr.

The 6-foot-2 point guard may not be the frontcourt addition that has escaped the franchise this summer, but he’s an athletic and energetic defender both on-ball and in the passing lanes.

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The former No. 13 overall pick in 2024 played just 36 games in his rookie campaign this past season, contributing 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in only 11.0 minutes, but he made his limited playing time count as a defender.

Carter compiled a respectable 114 defensive rating per 100 possessions as a rookie and proved to be a positive defender with a 0.3 defensive box plus-minus.

His three-point shooting would need to see a massive spike if he were to become a real threat as a member of the Warriors’ rotation, but a similar player, Gary Payton II, has shined as elite perimeter defender with outrageous leaping ability despite lacking in the height department.

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